1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a device for processing poultry bodies to produce consumable products, with a driven main conveyor having deflected and linear run portions and holding means for suspending the poultry bodies, the main conveyor further comprising a flat link chain with links which comprise respectively two mutually spaced plates and are connected with respective adjacent links by means of connections to form an endless conveyor, the spacing between the joints defining a chain pitch, the holding means being movable along a conveying path which traverses the operating area of at least one processing tool having auxiliary conveyors, the auxiliary conveyors being driven by means of a transmission which is operatively connected to the main conveyor.
2. Prior Art
In apparatus such as these, robust flat link chains with a relatively large pitch are favoured as conveyors due to their high transverse load carrying ability and relatively small cost. These are commonly guided as endless conveyors around deflection rollers with vertical axes and can have linear run portions of ten or more meters in length. Holding means such as shackles for receiving the poultry body to be processed are arranged on these flat link chains and moved along a conveyor path through the operating areas of a series of processing tools.
Depending on the type of processing provided it may be necessary to supplement the support to the poultry body during its movement; this is usually performed by means of an auxiliary conveyor which is driven synchronously with the main conveyor.
In this process it is important that the auxiliary conveyor is moved substantially uniformly and that the relative timing of entrainers carried by this auxiliary conveyor and the holding means stays constant after being initially set, even when the speed of the auxiliary conveyor can be adjusted.
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,399, the auxiliary conveyor can be driven self-sufficiently or by means of a suitable gear connection between the auxiliary conveyor and the main conveyor with the torque generally being derived by connection with a deflection axle.
For processing tools located along the linear run of the main conveyor such an arrangement requires considerable space and expenditure due to the bridging distance to the deflection axle.
3. Objects of the Invention
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a transmission arrangement which permits the driving unit of an auxiliary conveyor to link with that of a main conveyor over as short a distance as possible.
It is a further important object of the present invention to suggest a transmission arrangement which enables the transmission of a uniform and synchronous movement from a main conveyor to an auxiliary conveyor.